• By Mayukh Debnath
  • Tue, 20 Feb 2024 07:56 PM (IST)
  • Source:JND
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Lok Sabha Election 2024: The Samajwadi Party (SP) on Tuesday released the third list of its candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha election. The latest list contains the names of candidates for five parliamentary constituencies in Uttar Pradesh. The name of Shivpal Singh Yadav, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav's uncle, also featured in the list. He has been fielded from the Badaun seat.

Moreover, Surendra Singh Patel has been chosen the party's candidate from Varanasi, which is represented by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Lok Sabha. The other candidates whose names featured in the list are: Iqra Hasan (Kairana), Praveen Singh Airan (Bareilly), Ajendra Singh Rajput (Hamirpur).

On Monday, SP released its second list of 11 candidates. Earlier in the day, Akhilesh Yadav had said that he won't join Congress party's 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' in UP unless seat-sharing between the SP and the grand old party is finalised. "Right now talks are going on, lists have come from their side and from ours as well, the moment the seats are distributed and decided, the Samajwadi Party will join Congress's Nyaya Yatra," Yadav was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

"We have given a final offer of 17 Lok Sabha seats to the Congress. Akhilesh Yadav's participation in the Nyay Yatra in Raebareli on Tuesday will depend on their acceptance," SP's chief spokesperson, Rajendra Chaudhary, told PTI. The SP and the Congress are allies in the anti-BJP INDIA bloc. The success of the seat-sharing talks between the two are crucial, especially after the failure of such talks with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who has decided for her party, the TMC, to contest in her state alone.

Akhilesh had accepted the invitation from Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge to join the Rahul Gandhi-led 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra', saying that he would participate in the nationwide march in UP's Amethi or Rae Bareli. However, with no headway being made in the seat-sharing talks between the two parties, Akhilesh has so far refrained from participating in the ongoing UP leg of the nationwide march. The 'yatra' entered Amethi on Monday (February 13) and will be visiting Rae Bareli soon.

(With inputs from agencies)